The Leader made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Iran and Turkey currently enjoy a “brotherly” and “friendly” relationship which is outstanding in the history of their relations over the past centuries.

The Leader made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran. Erdogan arrived in Tehran on Tuesday night[2] for a two-day visit and held talks with senior Iranian officials on bilateral ties, trade relations, and a number of other regional issues. “Given the enormous potentials of the two sides, there is a favorable ground to expand and deepen the ties,” the Leader added. He also underscored that Tehran and Ankara should effectively utilize the existing opportunities to boost the mutual relationship. Erdogan, for his part, conveyed the warm greetings of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and said his meetings with Iranian officials were “very useful.” “We consider Iran our second home,” he said. The Turkish prime minister also said that he hopes that the relations between the two neighbors will improve consistently in order to “be turned into a model for the region and the world.” During Erdogan’s stay, Iran and Turkey signed a number of agreements, [3]including a preferential trade agreement, which can dramatically increase the trade ties between the two countries. Also, the Turkish prime minister held a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the same day and discussed bilateral and regional issues.